@samas NSU's victorious years, though spectacular, were so long ago that even I can only just remember them. The bike they vanquished was a single cylinder four stroke which could trace its ancestry back to the 1920's. Similarly, BMW's domination of sidecar racing was against mainly privately owned Norton singles. Fath humiliated them on his home made URS after the 'management' at BMW refused him any works assistance.On the same bike, Owesle repeated his feat.MZ's victoies, though laudable, were too inconsistent. I remember spectating at the bottom od Bray Hill one year and the second lap was notable for the speed of the MZ's....eerily silent as they sped past with siezed engines. The modern Beemers, being 'German Copies' of Japanese designs, have yet to achieve very much. Rogerio is right!

The ducati was not a winning bike. Casey stoner is an exceptional rider and it was his ability that.got him on the podium, despite the bike. only he could get consistently good results on it. The fact ducati didn't realise this until he left, and now rossi has left is yet another one of their management failures.

Ciabatti news is way bigger, as this is the man who had much to say regarding how WSBK was run. Him leaving is a sign that he did not agree with Dorna. 2013 will be the last year for WSBK as we know it. Downhill after that :(

While Stoner is definitely the standout talent of the era, he's still a man with two arms and legs, meaning that the bikes are a hairs breadth from being as competitive as either the honda or yam.Trying not to dis Hayden, he won in '06 through sheer determination but neither he or any of the other riders in the duc line up (excluding CS of course)have ever been backable championship material. Prezi is a victim of Rossi's total failure to ride anything but the sweetest handling machine which Yamaha have had for the last 30 bloody years! I reckon he's a bloody champion and he's got the rough end of the stick... BIG time!

The Ducati saga. By samas.In the year nineteen forty and nineFIM got together and said that it's timeTo start a world championship for the bikeThere are plenty out there whom we think would likeSo the old manufacturers who had been there beforeIn the European championship they had in days of yoreSix races all in Europe that was all we got When one reflects on those old days thing hadn't changed a lotThe British and the Germans oh yes they won a few But it really was the Italians who knew just what to doThe Guzzi's and Gilera's and of course the red MVWhen it came to racing motorbikes they had it to a TAnd so it was they won and won and then they won some moreUntil the day the Japs arrived and opened up the scoreThe Count he stood and passed comment don't wake me if I snoreNext year the Japs came back again with vengence on their mindAnd to the lightweight MV bikes they really were unkindSo they withdrew their lightweights into history they would fade

Regardless of whether you are a Stoner fan / hater or a Rossi fan / hater, it should be clear to all that Ducati's problems go way deeper than just the guys who ride the bike.

Stoner was having front end issues with the bike throughout 2009 and crashed a lot, often with no warning. This was a factor in his move to Honda, though there were many other factors as well.

No one knows how much of the failure of the Rossi / Ducati combo was down to man and how much was down to machine - I don't think even Vale himself knows. But no one should have any doubts that the machine was at least a significant factor, regardless of whether Rossi has passed his best.

I think a review of the Ducati technical staff was an obvious choice and long overdue. They are nowhere near Yamaha or Honda.

I blame the failure on Stoner. His execptional talent got everyone at Ducati belied thay had a winning bike. Every other rider, including Rossi confirm that the bike wasn't that great, or the Japs just took major steps in improving their own bikes. It must be sad when a CRT finish in front of a full blown prototype.

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